JP2007018798A - Electric connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric connector having excellent strength capable of preventing a housing from snapping while an actuator is rotating even if the height is reduced. <P>SOLUTION: A plurality of terminals 13, for conducting electricity by being pressed to a contact pad of an FPC when an end of the FPC is inserted, are arrayed on one end of a plate-shaped housing 12 having square cross section. Furthermore, in order to make the end of the FPC being inserted into a base plate insertion opening of the electric connector, and press the contact pad of the FPC to the terminals 13, an actuator 14 is mounted in free rotation. A coupling part 16 made of metal or the like, connecting holding tools 15 arranged at both end sides of the housing 12, formed integrally with the holding parts 15 is formed along a bottom face of the housing 12. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrical connector for electrically connecting a flexible printed wiring board or a flexible flat cable, and particularly has excellent strength even when the height is lowered, and can be securely attached to the flexible printed wiring board or the flexible flat cable. An electrical connector that can be used.

A plurality of terminals provided at one end of a flexible printed wiring board (hereinafter abbreviated as “FPC”) or a flexible flat cable (hereinafter abbreviated as “FFC”) are collectively attached to a plurality of corresponding contacts. An electrical connector is used as a device that is electrically connected and electrically connected to electrically connect an FPC or FFC to a substrate of an electric device such as a notebook computer.
In recent years, electronic devices such as notebook computers have been made thinner, and the reduction in height of electronic components used in these electronic devices has been further promoted. The demand for lowering the height of electrical connectors is also increasing.

  An example of an electrical connector that can effectively use the space inside the device in response to the downsizing of electronic devices is described in Patent Document 1.

JP 2000-195595 A

  FIG. 15 shows the structure of a substrate manufactured for the purpose of realizing a low profile when the electrical connector is attached. The board 1 is provided with a notch 2 for mounting the electrical connector in a region where the electrical connector is mounted. FIG. 16 is a view of a conventional electrical connector as viewed from below. The electrical connector 51 is configured such that the holders 53 attached to both sides of the housing 52 are soldered to the attachment site of the substrate 1, thereby Fixed to. When the electrical connector 51 is mounted in this manner, the electrical connector 51 is mounted in the region where the notch 2 is provided, and thus there is an advantage that a reduction in height can be realized.

  However, when the housing 52 is fixed in this manner, the portion where the housing 52 is dropped into the notch 2 is in a floating state, and when the FPC is attached to the housing 52, the actuator is rotated. A load is applied only to the housing 52. This load is applied so that the contact between the contact pad of the FPC and the terminal has a sufficient contact pressure by rotating the actuator, and the actuator can be easily rotated to connect the contact pad and the terminal of the FPC. If the contact is not cut off, it will become even larger. Furthermore, this load becomes even greater when the number of terminals of the electrical connector increases. The housing 52 is made thin in order to meet the demand for a low profile, and since the strength is weak, there is a problem that the housing 52 is easily broken when a large load is applied to the housing 52.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and has excellent strength and flexible printing that can prevent the housing from being broken when the actuator is rotated even when the height is lowered. An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector capable of reliably mounting a wiring board or a flexible flat cable.

  In order to solve the above problems, an electrical connector according to the present invention includes a housing provided with a plurality of terminals for electrically connecting a flexible printed wiring board or a flexible flat cable, and a flexible printed wiring board or a flexible flat cable. An actuator rotatably provided to bring the contact portion and the terminal into electrical contact with each other, and is attached to a notch portion provided on the substrate, and is connected to the flexible printed wiring board or the flexible flat In the electrical connector for electrically connecting the cable and the board, the holders provided at both ends of the housing are connected, and a connecting portion formed integrally with the holders connects the actuator of the housing. It is characterized by being formed along a surface facing the provided side.

  A connecting portion formed integrally with a holder provided on both ends of the housing is formed along a surface of the housing facing the side on which the actuator is provided, and this surface rotates the actuator. Since the surface receives the pressure generated by this, the connecting portion can receive a load generated when the actuator is operated in a state where the flexible printed wiring board or the flexible flat cable is mounted on the housing. Therefore, the load applied to the housing can be reduced, and damage to the housing can be prevented. Therefore, even if a thin housing is used to reduce the height, the strength can be ensured, and the flexible printed wiring board or the flexible flat cable can be securely attached.

  In the present invention, the actuator may be provided on the side of the housing where the flexible printed wiring board or flexible flat cable is inserted, or the side of the housing where the flexible printed wiring board or flexible flat cable is inserted. It may be provided on the opposite side.

  Further, in the present invention, the lower surface of the substrate mounting portion of the holder and the lower surface of the substrate mounting portion of the terminal may be attached to the upper surface of the substrate, or the upper surface of the substrate mounting portion of the holder The upper surface of the substrate mounting portion of the terminal may be mounted on the lower surface of the substrate.

  Further, in the present invention, when the actuator is operated and the contact portion of the flexible printed wiring board or flexible flat cable and the terminal are brought into electrical contact with each other, the upper surface of the electrical connector is the board. It can be made to be substantially flush with the upper surface. Thereby, reduction in height can be realized.

  In this invention, the said connection part is formed with the metal, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. Since the connecting portion is made of metal, the strength can be reliably improved.

  According to the present invention, since the connecting portion can receive a load generated when the actuator is rotated to electrically connect the terminals, the load on the housing can be reduced and the housing can be prevented from being damaged. be able to. Therefore, even if a thin housing is used to reduce the height, an electrical connector having excellent strength can be realized, and a flexible printed wiring board or a flexible flat cable can be securely attached.

Hereinafter, the electrical connector of the present invention will be described based on the embodiment. In the following description based on the drawings, the same reference numerals are used for the same names.
1 and 2 show the structure of the electrical connector according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 1A is a plan view of an electrical connector, FIG. 1B is a front view thereof, FIG. 1C is a bottom view thereof, FIG. 1D is a side view thereof, and FIG. is there. FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the electrical connector.

In the electrical connector 11 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of terminals 13 are aligned and arranged at one end of a plate-shaped housing 12 having a rectangular cross section. This terminal 13 is for being electrically connected by being pressed against the contact pad of the FPC when the end portion of the FPC is inserted. In addition, an actuator 14 is rotatably attached so that the end portion of the FPC is inserted into the board insertion port of the electrical connector 11 and the contact pad of the FPC is pressed against the terminal 13. Holders 15 are provided at both ends of the housing 12.
The electrical connector 11 is used not only to connect the FPC but also to connect the FFC to be conductive. FFC is a parallel multi-core electric wire in which conductors having a rectangular cross section are arranged at regular intervals, the upper and lower sides are sandwiched between plastic films, heat and pressure are applied, and the tape joint surface is heat-sealed by heat welding or adhesive. .

  FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the electrical connector 11, which connects the holding tools 15 provided on both ends of the housing 12, and a connecting portion 16 formed integrally with these holding tools 15 is provided on the housing 12. It is formed along the bottom surface, that is, the surface facing the side where the actuator 14 is provided. The connecting portion 16 can be formed of metal or the like.

FIG. 4 shows a situation where the electrical connector 11 of the present invention is attached to the substrate 1. This embodiment shows a case where the electrical connector 11 is mounted on the upper side of the substrate 1.
The board 1 is provided with a cutout portion 2 for mounting the electrical connector 11 in a region where the electrical connector 11 is mounted. The electrical connector 11 includes a holder 15 attached to both sides of the housing 12. 1 is fixed to the substrate 1 by being soldered to an attachment site provided on the upper side of the substrate 1.

FIG. 5 shows the operation of the electrical connector when the FPC is mounted.
FIG. 5A shows a state before the FPC is mounted, and the actuator 14 is held at an angle at which the FPC can be mounted. In FIG. 5B, the end of the FPC 17 is inserted into the insertion slot, but the FPC 17 is still fixed because the actuator 14 is held at the same angle as in the state shown in FIG. Absent. FIG. 5C shows a state in which the actuator 14 is rotated and the contact pad of the FPC 17 is pressed against the terminal 13, whereby the terminal 13 is electrically connected. The direction in which the actuator 14 is rotated is not limited to the direction shown in the figure, and may be the opposite direction. By rotating, the contact pad of the FPC is pressed against the terminal 13. That's fine.

6 and 7 show the structure of the electrical connector according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. 6A is a plan view of the electrical connector, FIG. 6B is a front view thereof, FIG. 6C is a bottom view thereof, FIG. 6D is a side view thereof, and FIG. 6E is an AA sectional view of FIG. is there. FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of the electrical connector.
In this embodiment, the basic structure is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the method of attaching to the substrate 1 is different from that of the first embodiment.

FIG. 8A shows a situation where the electrical connector 11 of the present embodiment is attached to the substrate 1. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the electrical connector 11 is attached to the lower side of the substrate 1.
The board 1 is provided with a notch 2 for mounting the electrical connector 11 in a region where the electrical connector 11 is mounted. The electrical connector 11 has a holding tool 15 attached to both sides of the housing 12. It is fixed to the substrate 1 by being soldered to an attachment site provided on the lower side of the substrate 1, and a state shown in FIG. 8B is obtained.

  9 and 10 show the structure of the electrical connector according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. 9A is a plan view of the electrical connector, FIG. 9B is a front view thereof, FIG. 9C is a bottom view thereof, FIG. 9D is a side view thereof, and FIG. 9E is a state where the electrical connector is mounted on the board. It is sectional drawing. FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of the electrical connector.

In this embodiment, the actuator 14 is provided on the opposite side of the housing 12 from the side where the FPC 17 is inserted. In this respect, the actuator 14 is provided on the side where the FPC 17 of the housing 12 is inserted, 2 is different.
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9 (e), the connecting portion 18 comes into contact with the substrate 1 when mounted on the substrate 1.

FIG. 11A shows a situation where the electrical connector 11 of the present embodiment is attached to the substrate 1.
The board 1 is provided with a notch 2 for mounting the electrical connector 11 in a region where the electrical connector 11 is mounted. The electrical connector 11 has a holding tool 15 attached to both sides of the housing 12. It is fixed to the board | substrate 1 by soldering to the attachment site | part provided in the upper side of the board | substrate 1, and it will be in the state shown in FIG.11 (b).

12 and 13 show the structure of the electrical connector according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. 12A is a plan view of the electrical connector, FIG. 12B is a front view thereof, FIG. 12C is a bottom view thereof, FIG. 12D is a side view thereof, and FIG. 12E is a state where the electrical connector is mounted on the board. It is sectional drawing. FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of the electrical connector.
In this embodiment, the basic structure is the same as that of the third embodiment, but the method of attaching to the substrate 1 is different from that of the third embodiment.

FIG. 14 shows a situation where the electrical connector 11 of the present embodiment is attached to the substrate 1. This embodiment is different from the third embodiment in that the electrical connector 11 is attached to the lower side of the substrate 1.
The board 1 is provided with a cutout portion 2 for mounting the electrical connector 11 in a region where the electrical connector 11 is mounted. The electrical connector 11 includes a holder 15 attached to both sides of the housing 12. 14 is fixed to the substrate 1 by being soldered to an attachment site provided on the lower side of 1, and the state shown in FIG.

  In the present invention, not only the FPC or FFC connector described as the embodiment but also various FPC or FFC connectors having different actuator positions, operation modes, terminal contact portions, and the like can be used.

  In the electrical connector 11 of the present invention, the connecting portion 16 formed integrally with the holder 15 is formed along the surface of the housing 12 that faces the side on which the actuator is provided, so the actuator 14 shown in FIG. Since the load generated during the pivoting operation is absorbed by the connecting portion 16, the load on the housing 12 can be reduced, and the housing 12 can be prevented from being damaged.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used as an electrical connector that is excellent in strength and can be securely mounted with a flexible printed wiring board even if a thin housing is used to meet the demand for a low profile.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the electrical connector which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is an upper surface perspective view of the electrical connector concerning Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a bottom perspective view of the electrical connector concerning Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the condition which attaches the electrical connector which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention to a board | substrate. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the electrical connector at the time of mounting | wearing FPC. It is a figure which shows the structure of the electrical connector which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is an upper surface perspective view of the electrical connector which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the condition which attaches the electrical connector which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention to a board | substrate. It is a figure which shows the structure of the electrical connector which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is an upper surface perspective view of the electrical connector which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the condition which attaches the electrical connector which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention to a board | substrate. It is a figure which shows the structure of the electrical connector which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a top perspective view of the electrical connector which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the condition which attaches the electrical connector which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention to a board | substrate. It is a figure which shows the structure of the board | substrate with which an electrical connector is mounted for the purpose of low profile. It is the figure which looked at the conventional electrical connector from the lower side.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Board | substrate 2 Notch part 11 Electrical connector 12 Housing 13 Terminal 14 Actuator 15 Holder 16 Connection part 17 FPC
18 connections

Claims (7)

To electrically connect a housing provided with a plurality of terminals for electrically connecting a flexible printed wiring board or a flexible flat cable, a contact portion of the flexible printed wiring board or the flexible flat cable, and the terminal. An electrical connector that is attached to a notch provided in a substrate and electrically connects the flexible printed wiring board or flexible flat cable and the substrate,
The holding tools provided at both ends of the housing are connected, and a connecting portion formed integrally with the holding tools is formed along a surface facing the side of the housing where the actuator is provided. An electrical connector featuring.   The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is provided on a side of the housing where a flexible printed wiring board or a flexible flat cable is inserted.   The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is provided on a side of the housing opposite to a side where the flexible printed wiring board or the flexible flat cable is inserted.   The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a lower surface of the board mounting portion of the holder and a lower surface of the board mounting portion of the terminal are attached to the upper surface of the board.   4. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein an upper surface of a board mounting portion of the holder and an upper surface of a board mounting portion of the terminal are attached to a lower surface of the board. 5.   When the actuator is operated and the contact portion of the flexible printed wiring board or flexible flat cable and the terminal are brought into electrical contact with each other, the upper surface of the electrical connector is substantially flush with the upper surface of the substrate. The electrical connector according to claim 4 or 5, wherein:   The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portion is made of metal.

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